Apparatus for the manufacture of



May 4, 1948. C A 2,441,118

APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF SEAMLESS VARICOSE-VEIN STOCKINUS Filed Oct. 25, 1945' 0 0/6 150009 1117" 8 M4 )MM flt i arheys ?atenteci May 4, 1948 APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF SEAMLESS VARICOSE-VEIN STOCKINGS Louis Boucraut, Troyes, France, assignor to Socit a Responsabilit Limite: Les Fils De Valton & 00., Troyes, France Application October 25, 1945, Serial No. 624,462 In France December 30, 1941 Section 1, Public Law 690, August 8,1946 Patent expires December 30, 1961 Heretofore seamless varicose-vein stockings have been manufactured by means of a hand knitting machine. In the course of this operation, the heel and the sole of the stocking were knitted back on the needles, involving lengthy and costly manufacture and moreover allowing only of a small output. Moreover, on such machines, the use of the elastic required the work of a skilled operator, as most applications were made by hand, which often led to irregularities in the distribution of elastic and in defects in the finished stocking.

The present invention, which has for its object to eliminate a large part of the above drawbacks, consists in providing means for manufacturing seamless varicose stockings, with inlaid or knitted elastic yarn, by the use of automatic knittin machines such as are already in use in the hosiery art for the manufacture of stockings and socks and known by the name of Scott or Maxim machines.

It is known that in such machines the changes.

of yarn are effected automatically by means ofa counter in a similar way as for the manufacture of the leg of the stocking, of the heel or of the sole.

It is also known that, insuch machines, the manufacturers or the users had already achieved the possibility of introducing the elastic so as to provide at the top of an ordinary sock or halfhose an elastic band intended to serve as a garter.

It had not yet been suggested to insert the elastic yarn on such machines throughout the whole length of the leg and the foot so as to obtain (seamless) varicose stockings.

This insertion of the elastic yarn throughout the entire surface of the article by means of automatic machines of the above defined type gives rise to certain technical problems whereof the solution also constitute in itself an object ofthe invention.

Such problems all originate in the progressive tension which should be imparted to the elastic yarn so that the article should finally have the desired shape.

The invention thus has also for its object to combine an automatic hose knitting machine with a system for the feeding and the progressive tensioning of the elastic yarn, said system being of any suitable type and in particular having the character defined hereafter. I

The appended drawing represents schematically several devices capable of achieving this purpose, and whereof the application to acircular 4 Claims. (01. 66-132) automatic hose knitting machine constitute the chief feature of the invention.

In such drawing, Fig. 1 is a schematic plan view of an apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention showing the adjustable tension feeding device for the yarn; Fig. 2 is a sche:

1. Progressive tension device In the ordinary automatic knitting machine for socks and stockings, the elastic yarn is fed.

to the machine under a uniform tension, controlled by hand but which may not be altered during the manufacture of the stocking. In the system according to the invention, a feeding de-' vice with adjustable tension has been interposed as shown in Fig. 1.

On the path of the elastic yarn is installed a rough disk or plate I, against which bears a loose roller 2 under slight pressure and the axis ofwhich is parallel to a radius of the plate 1. This plate I is rotated by a shaft 3, whereonis mounted a, conical drum 4 driven by means of a second conical drum 6 through a belt 5, said second drum 6 being opposingly mounted withv respect to the first and being driven in uniform rotation by the machine.

The belt 5 connecting both drums passes through a yoke 1 displaceable along the cones 4 and 5 and thus imparting to the first cone 4 a variable speed, thus driving the disk I at a variable speed. The elastic which passes between the loose roller 2 and the disk I is thus fed to the machine at a variable rate, thus providing a variable tension to the elastic as it engages the needles of the machine. finished articles a more Or less large width of the stocking.

By a suitable displacement of the yoke I, there may. thus be given a large transverse dimension to the stocking at the location of the calf, a smaller dimension at the ankle, etc. To obtain such progressive displacement of the yoke I, said yoke is connected by a square bent lever 8 oscillating about an axis 9 and by a link ID to a roller ll engaging the periphery of a'cam l2 driven by the general motion of the machine and against which said roller is at all time urged by a sprin 13. The outline of the cam 12 is such There results in the- 3 as to impart to the roller H and consequently to the yoke I, the displacement required to obtain the desired tension of the elastic.

The elastic yarn is fed to the disk l by arr-eye l4 connected in turn to the nut of a worm l5 parallel to the axis of the roller 2. By rotating the worm l5 by hand, the eye I4 is raised or lowered along a radius of the disk 4,, whereby the average tension of the elastic may he rad justed, disregarding the action of the cam l2,, and a more or less tight fitting :stockingmay'b obtained.

2. Device for disengaging and for maintaining the tension of the elasticyam;

At the start of the heel and at the termination of the sole, the elastic yarn must "be" disengaged from the needles and maintained imd'er' tension at rest. Such holding under tension is necessary to avoid a defect in the stocking at the moment where the elastic is again engaged .by the needles.

A particular device described hereinafter by way of example, and illustrated at Eig. -2, makes such .a result possible:

The loose roller V2 is fixedto a lever TIE-i8, pivoting about a fixed fulcrum T1 andithe second arm ilflthereofis urged backwardly'by a spring I9' so as to resiliently urge the loose .roller .2 against the disk I. Said vsecond arm I3" bears on the o'ther'hand against one arm of'a bent lever pivoting about a fixed fulcrum '22, whereof the second arm 2115 connected through a link 23 to the usual yarn feeding, arm 24. When said yarn feeding arm 24 rises to cast-off the elastic yarn C from the needles A, the link 23 pushes the bent lever 21 which in turn pushes the two armed lever (FE-SL8 and withdraws .the .roller 2 from the disk 1'. At that moment, the elastic ceases to be drawn by the disk i. On .the other hand, .a member .2 5 of the lever 2!] acts to clamp the elastic againstlafixedlmember 2E, and thereb y"ho1d'sfthe elastic while maintaining the same under tension.

3'. Regular 'jeeding device of the :eiasnc In 'order'to render the machine automatic, it isnecessary to achieve a continuous anduniform' feedoi" the elastic, which may not be achieved by eventhe best winding device. It is therefore necessary to insert on the path of the elasti'c'a device; eliminating the irregularities of tension occurringat the exit of the'elastic creel. The device represented byway of example in Figs. 3 and 4 provides a means for achieving-a regular tension of the elastic under very satisfactory conditions.

A disk 2"! having a V-shaped groove 28 is fixed to-a drive pulley P, holding a belt C, and rotating at highspeed; the -cross sect-ionoithe groove-28' is determinedin such manner that" when the elastic yarn is placed at the bottom of said groove, and about approximatelw fl of the-pei iphery ofthe disk; itis driven without any sliding motion thereof; being so to speak ripped oii the creel B.

i'lie elastic yarn passes through a fixed eyelet 29} then into the groove of the disk 2%, into the eyelet-hoof a balancemember 314-, then into a fihedeyelet 32-, wherefrom it =departs-to-feedthe machine.

Elie-member 31 pivots about axis @3' and arrives-fi efly and the member ii-Bisin-tlie back ward position shown in dots and dashes )E; the

4 elastic then slides into the groove 28 of the disk 21.

As soon as the pirn exerts a pull, the member 3 is immediately drawn forward by the slight tension which occurs; the elastic adheres to the bottom of the groove 28 of the disk 21 and is strongly drawn by disk 21; the pull ceases immediately; the tension disappears and the member arm-mm touts forward position.

This invention is applicable both in the event Where the elastic is inlaid in the stocking and whereit Bis knitted into it. In the latter case, thehe'el may be made of elastic or nonelastic yarn at will; similarly, the reverse may be made of :elastic or nonelastic yarn. A simple alteration ofthe usual cams of the counter enables passingirom :onetype of stocking to the other.

'Theprocess described above, and the stocking obtained by means of this invention, comprise several advantages.

.By reason of its manufacture on a circular automatic knitting machine, the stocking comprises .no -longitudinal seam and thereby does not comprise any additional thickness which could injure the leg of the'wearer. In manufacture, there 'isno risk of cutting the elastic yarn by the sewing machine as in the stocking with a longitudinal seam.

The machine employedallows for changing at difierent points" of the stocking the yarn being fed, and thereforeforireenforcin'g the heel at will, for inserting or suppressing the elastic at desired points, etc.

'Moreover; the machine being entirely automatic, does not require particularly skilled labor, while providing a'high output, therefore a low cost ofproduction; and on "the other handflcomprises Oniy'a single needle cylinder whereby a very fine stocking may be obtained.

What 'I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Inan automatic circular hos knitting machin'eforknittingseamless varicose-vein stockings, a device for puttingthe elastic yarn under progressive tension, comprising a rotary disk, a roller for pressing the elastic yarn against said rotary disk, two conical pulleys having'their axes parallel and -c pposingly disposed with respect to each other; a belt transmission means to transfier rotation-from on'eo'f' said pulleys to the other, a lever'system for actuat mg said belt and" a cam means :icr actuating said lev'ersystem. V

I2. In an automatic-circular hose knitting machine i or knitting seamless varicose-vein stockings, :a device forlputting the elastic yarnunder progressive tension, comprising a rotating disk, a roll'er forpressing the elastic'yarn against said rotary disk; and a lever system operatively connecting the yarn feeding arm' of the machine with the said roller cooperating withsaid ro'tating disk, to cause said-rollerto become operative.

3. In an automatic circular hose knitting-machine rorikrntiiing seamless varicose-vein stockmes; a device for puttingthe'elasticyarn under progressive tension, comprising a rotating disk, a roller for pressing the elastic yarnwagainst said rotary :clisk, and alever system operativelyconnectingthe yarn feedingarm of the machine with the. said-roller cooperating with said rotating disk; to cause'said'r'oller to become operative, an'd'm'eans. for blocking said elastic' yarn under tensionwhen the roller is inoperative, said means being. actuated 'bysaid'lever system. v

4. m automatic circular hose-knitting machine ior knitting sea *ess-varicose-vein stockingsyade'vice for putting the elasticyarn underprogressive tension, comprising a rotating disk, a roller for pressing the elastic yarn against said rotary disk, a means for momentarily blocking said elastic yarn under tension and a means for providing continuous and regular feed of the elastic yarn comprising a grooved disk for passing said elastic yarn and a tiltable means becoming operative under the action of an abnormal pull on the elastic yarn for determining said elastic yarn to be drawn by said grooved pulley. LOUIS BOUCRAUT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Lindley Aug. 20, 1929 Drumheller Aug. 25, 1936 Lebocey Dec, 5, 1939 Reed Nov. 3, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain May 10, 1938 France July 27, 1937 

